Young man passed away under torture in Tartous Central Prison

Thaer Shedood, a young man from al-Safsafa district in Tartous countryside, died as a result of being subjected to torture inside Tartous Central Prison at the hands of members of the Transitional Government's "General Security" Forces, days after his arbitrary detention without trial.

According to local sources, Thaer, a young man in his thirties who worked as a bread vendor and official representative, was arrested following a verbal altercation at a bread distribution point with one of the persons who had stormed the place on a motorcycle.

Although eyewitnesses and initial reports from al-Safsafa police station proved his innocence, the assailant was released after just one hour. However, Thaer was transferred to Tartous Central Prison without any formal charges being brought or his being presented to the Public Prosecution.

The sources reported that Thaer, who suffered from a heart condition, was subjected to continuous physical and psychological torture for several days in prison at the hands of members of the Transitional Government's "General Security" Forces, which led to the deterioration of his health and his death in his cell without any medical intervention or legal supervision.

Human rights reports indicate that this incident is not the first of its kind in Tartous Central Prison, which is considered one of the worst detention centers in terms of detention conditions and violations, where cases of torture leading to death are frequent there, amid a lack of legal accountability and an official media blackout.

This incident reveals the policy pursued by the Transitional Government in the areas under its control, which is based on creating problems with Alawites, imprisoning them, and subjecting them to torture, as part of a systematic campaign aimed at eliminating or marginalizing them politically and socially.

J.J